Ndubuoke: How MKO Abiola  brought  sanity  into SWAN

Former President of the Sportswriters Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Fan Ndubuoke, has recounted the turbulent period that preceded his administration and the decisive steps taken to rescue the association from near collapse.

He described his 1992–1996 tenure as a deliberate mission to restore integrity, professionalism and credibility.

Presenting a paper titled “Restoring the Integrity of SWAN” at the Diamond/60^th  Anniversary celebration of the association, Ndubuoke recalled that when the executive he served under assumed office in February 1992, SWAN was engulfed in crisis, internal suspicion and loss of confidence.

According to him, genuine sports journalists and editors had distanced themselves from the association, which had been infiltrated by non-professionals, eroding its sanctity.

He explained that mutual accusations between the national leadership led by Prince Lat Ogumade and sports editors worsened the situation, giving rise to splinter groups and damaging allegations of extortion. The crisis eventually resulted in the removal of the leadership and the installation of a caretaker committee by Chris Ogwu, with Ndubuoke serving as a member alongside other respected headed journalists.

Ndubuoke traced his emergence as SWAN President to the transparent electoral process conducted after the 1991 Ibadan Convention, where four contestants from the Lagos chapter served for the presidency. He was elected alongside Mallam Sani Zaria as Deputy President, inheriting what he described as a “battered and crisis-ridden association.”

Rather than rushing into office, the new leadership embarked on wide consultations and reconciliation, beginning with sports editors, media executives and foreign stakeholders.

A major turning point was the historic visit to the late MKO Abiola, SWAN’s Grand Patron, whose confidence in the association was restored following the engagement. Abiola’s donation of ₦100,000 and a brand-new official vehicle, Ndubuoke noted, symbolized renewed trust in SWAN’s leadership.

Central to the reforms was the sanitization of SWAN’s membership. The administration made possession of a Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) card compulsory, restricted full membership to practicing sports journalists, and reclassified non-core practitioners as associate members. These measures, replicated across state chapters, were aimed at restoring professionalism.

Ndubuoke highlighted additional milestones, including the introduction of the SWAN National Identity Card, restoration of affiliations with continental and global bodies, and the repositioning of SWAN as a credible partner in sports development. He lamented what he described as a renewed infiltration of the association in recent years and urged a return to SWAN’s founding ideals to preserve its legacy.